Classic Beef Jerky

5 from 2 votes

My Classic Beef Jerky soaks in a simple but flavorful pepper marinade before being slow smoked to soft, tender, chewy, peppery perfection.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Marinade Time8

Total Time10 10

Course: Snacks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Classic Beef Jerky

Servings:

Author: Susie Bulloch (heygrillhey,com)

Prepare marinade. In a large zip top bag, combine all ingredients for the marinade. Mix well to dissolve the sugar.
4 cloves garlic, 1 cup soy sauce, ½ cup Worcestershire sauce, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, 2 Tablespoons black pepper, 1 cup beer
Marinate beef. Add the sliced eye of round to your marinade and toss gently in the bag to coat all sides of the meat with the marinade. Refrigerate 8 hours, or up to 24 hours. The longer it marinates, the saltier and stronger the flavor will be.
2 pounds eye of round roast
Remove from marinade. Remove the strips of marinated beef from the bag and place on paper towels. Pat dry.
Preheat smoker. Set your smoker, oven (with the door cracked), or dehydrator to run at around 170 degrees F. Transfer the strips to the grill grate, jerky rack, or cooling rack and season the top with additional black pepper, if desired.
Smoke jerky. Smoke/cook for 2-3 hours (depending on the thickness of your slices, some thicker pieces can take 4-5 hours). Check often after the first hour to be sure your jerky is drying evenly. You are looking for jerky that is firm and still slightly pliable, but not soft. If you bend your jerky and it breaks, you've cooked it a little too long.
Bag and steam jerky. Place the finished jerky in a gallon zip top bag while it is still warm. Don't seal closed all the way. The jerky will steam in the bag slightly and this step will make the jerky moist.

If you prefer to add curing salt to you marinade, read this post on Curing Meats Safely.